The Hidden End
by thequintessentialval
Summary: [Based on the Movie] Ender was humanity's last hope; Earth's future depended on him. But Colonel Graff had a backup plan-if Ender should fail, they needed someone else on whom they could depend on. And that's why they chose to train another alongside Ender Wiggin. Little did they know how challenging that would turn out to be.
1. Prologue

**PART 01 || PROLOGUE**

Time was a luxury they could not afford. All those years they spent watching her, _studying_ her, and trying hard to understand her had proved worthless-Morgan Bellar's mind was still a black hole that offered insight to no one. She was one of the most difficult specimens they'd evaluated; most children her age had a pattern to their thinking, while she did not. Nothing could define her. She made unexpected choices and decisions, and was viewed as reckless and impulsive by everyone around her.

But Colonel Graff knew better.

"She's amazing," he said. "Perfect. Just what we need."

"I still don't see why you bothered with this girl when you already have Ender Wiggin," Anderson told him. "Aren't you satisfied with one child? Must you corrupt another?"

"I'm not corrupting anyone."

"What is it about her that made you so interested?"

"She's a quick thinker. She can make good decisions fast, even when she's under stress. We need someone like that. She's got the mind of a commander."

"And Ender?"

"He's still our main focus. But Morgan Bellar is also important. Think of what those two could do if we train them together. We'd be invincible. Both their minds linked together, thinking as one... the Formics wouldn't stand a chance."

"And what if they don't get along?"

"They'll have to. They're brilliant. Everyone will single them out eventually. And when they'll have no one except each other, they'll have no choice but to get along. That's how they'll be able to survive out there."

"You're ruthless, Graff."

"The world will thank me later."


	2. Chapter 01

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 01  
>Different Fields<strong>

Morgan Bellar couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so out of place. She was sitting in a rocket among a bunch of other kids like her-mentally gifted, she'd heard the grown-ups say-but even though every adult she's encountered had tried to convince her that they were so much alike, Morgan could feel their differences. Her eyes darted to the faces around her, which only made her wince and turn her head away. They were nothing like her, she decided.

She'd remembered getting scouted for Battle School after wearing a monitor for a couple of years, and she'd remembered Colonel Graff giving her the choice of coming with him and training to be a soldier. Somehow, Morgan got the feeling that even if she'd said no to his offer, he'd make her go. She found it wiser to give in to his wishes rather than start an argument and put herself on the blacklist before her training even began. After all, there wasn't much she'd be missing on Earth. There was no actual reason to refuse, unless she was afraid of the commitment and the challenge. And Morgan would most definitely not succumb to fear.

When her younger brother, Florian, had heard about her departure, he grimaced and huffed. "How long will you be gone?" he said.

"Long enough," Morgan told him. She ruffled his hair and brought him into a headlock, poking his nose. "Cheer up. I'll be back before you know it. You won't even have time to miss me."

But even though Florian was only nine, he understood perfectly. He knew that the chances of seeing Morgan again anytime soon were very slim. She was smart; they needed that kind of stuff at the Battle School. There was no way they'd let her go home unless she somehow became physically unable to go on.

Florian never said much, but he thought a lot. He was a meditative boy, always cautious with every single decision he made. People tended to overlook him because of those very reasons, thinking he was too young and naive to be taken into consideration, but sometimes, Morgan thought he would be a better candidate for Battle School than she was.

But it wasn't Florian they picked. It was Morgan, and as more kids filled in the seats around her, she found it harder and harder to wrap her head around that thought.

She was sitting in the very back row on the right side, on the second seat from the left. She noticed a tan boy take a seat two chairs down from her, and he turned his head to look at her. Morgan's cheeks heated up, and she kept her gaze ahead. _Don't look at him, don't look at him_, she kept telling herself. _Avoid all confrontation._

"What's your name?" he asked.

It took a couple of seconds for Morgan to register the fact that the boy had spoken to _her_. She slowly turned her head around to face him. "Morgan," she said.

The boy glanced at her shoulder-length hair, eyes scanning the small scars on her face. One above her eyebrow, and one on her nose. "You a tomboy?"

"More or less."

The boy gave her a small smile, his eyes twinkling slightly. "I'm Bean."

She didn't know what else to say, so she nodded and exhaled. Bean stared at her a few more seconds and then moved his attention elsewhere. When she thought he wasn't looking, Morgan snuck a glance his way.

It was only a few moments later that another boy walked in. Morgan's eyes flickered around, and she realized that the last seat available was the one to her left. She snapped her head up to look at the boy walking down the aisle, and immediately regretted it.

He wasn't anything special. He looked sort of average, if maybe a little too much on the skinny side. His hair was short and dark, and his eyes were a pale blue-very different from her almost black irises. That wasn't the part that made Morgan panic. She'd seen much better-looking boys than the one in front of her.

What was different about this boy was the glimmer in his frosty eyes. The look he held on his face was intimidating. It wasn't a look of cruelty like the ones she's encountered throughout her school life. It was actually much deeper than that. He wasn't intimidating because of his intentions. Deep down underneath his outer shell, this boy was smart.

Morgan noticed something. All the exceptionally talented people she's met have had the same glint in their eyes. It wasn't something she could define properly, but it was true. People with a sharp mind looked experienced... older... and they gave off an air of superiority to everyone else. It was easy to figure out who was among those people and who wasn't, especially for Morgan. She knew she couldn't be wrong. She knew that her suspicions would turn out correct. She had an animal's instinct, and if she managed to convince herself to listen to it, things usually ended up the way she expected them to.

Whoever this boy was, he'd be a challenge. She didn't know how his mind worked, and she didn't know what he was capable of. All she knew is that he was definitely brainier than most of the other Launchies around. The question was, how far could his brain go?

People were quiet, and they gave the boy scrutinizing looks. He tried to appear uninterested, and took a seat next to Morgan.

"You're late," Bean said. Morgan bit her upper lip to stifle a laugh.

"Out of my control," the boy said. He then held out his hand. "I'm Ender."

Bean didn't shake it right away. He glanced at it and then back up at him. "Ender?" He let out a scoff and smirked, glancing at the guy beside him. "What kind of a name is _that_?"

Ender shrugged it off. "What's your name?" he asked, pushing his hand forward.

"Name's Bean." He took Ender's hand and shook it. Ender had the same look of disbelief that Bean had before.

"Bean?"

"Grew up on the streets. Not worth a bean?"

Morgan ran her left hand through her hair and appeared unmoved by the fact that Bean's life hadn't been so cheerful. She didn't necessarily care at this point. Maybe if they talked a little more, Morgan would grow to have some sympathy for him. But it was too early for her to determine the way she felt about anyone on that spaceship.

Ender smiled and turned in his seat. Morgan tied up her hair absentmindedly, while her brain was devising quick methods to render the boy beside her unable to go on with the training. Ender was about to say something to her when their chairs started to vibrate and rock. Ender was the last to buckle his belt, and almost every single kid in the room started to look horrified. _Blast-off_, Morgan thought. Internally, she was screaming. Externally, she was as calm as could be.

It was easy to sort out the people with strong stomachs from those with weak ones. Almost everyone in the room gripped onto their seats and winced. Two or three-Morgan included-didn't, however. She knew that this was the first test, whether the adults around her would admit it or not. She kept her eyes on the seat in front of her, her gaze never moving away from that one spot. _Keep calm, don't lose focus_. Morgan could feel her stomach tighten and practically flip over. Her chest constricted, and she struggled not to gasp for air loudly.

Morgan could feel herself getting pushed back into her seat, all the weight of the lift-off pressing down onto her body. The countdown on the speaker systems barely reached her ears, as she was too occupied visualizing herself _not_ panicking in front of everyone. Before she knew it, they were up in the air, and she could feel the pressure changing. Her ears popped, and she had to open and close her mouth a couple of times to readjust her hearing.

Eventually, the pressure lifted off her chest. Literally. She felt herself lift up in her chair, her seatbelt being the only thing keeping her from moving up towards the ceiling. The other kids realized it too; they let their hands float up, smiling at the newly-discovered feeling. Morgan didn't let herself show any surprise. She had to appear calm about this.

The boy beside her began to heave. "I'm gonna be-"

_Sick_, Morgan finished silently. She sighed, knowing this was so terribly unfortunate. It was just her luck to be sitting next to an intellectual with an unusual name and a nauseous juvenile.

"A bag!" Bean exclaimed, grabbing a bag from the seat in front of him. "Give him a bag!" He passed it down to Ender, who passed it down to Morgan, who then passed it down to the boy who was about to vomit. He threw up into it as soon as he got it, and practically every kid in the room groaned in repulsion. Morgan simply looked at the boy, one eyebrow slightly more raised than the other.

A bit of vomit flew up from the bag, floating towards the ceiling of the spaceship. The girls straight below it looked really uncomfortable, fearing that it would somehow fall on them. It wouldn't, though. There was no gravity, so of course it wouldn't.

Colonel Graff maneuvered himself into the room. "Close the bag!" he shouted at the kid beside Morgan. He did as he was told, still looking sick. Morgan wanted to look at Graff, but she noticed Ender tilting his head to the left. "You alright?" Graff asked. The boy with the puke bag nodded, wiping his mouth. Graff's eyes settled on Ender, who was still looking at him with a dopey look on his face. Graff frowned. "What are you doing, Wiggin?"

Ender straightened up, wiping the goofy smile off his face. Morgan slightly began to doubt his high intellect, although she knew even the smartest of people had their moments of pure stupidity at some point. "Nothing, sir," Ender said. Morgan could see him fighting to keep the corners of his mouth down.

"Something funny?" Graff continued. Ender didn't reply right away. "I asked you a question, Launchie."

Ender licked his bottom lip tentatively. "Sir, the way you were floating... horizontal... I thought that was funny."

"Really? Why?"

"Because in zero gravity, there is no right side up. You may think you're vertical and _we_ may be horizontal," the boy explained.

Graff looked around at all the Launchies' faces. "Is that funny?"

"Sir, no, sir!"

"Yes it is," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Morgan had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from scoffing. "Alai, you know what he's talking about?" he asked the boy who had just finished puking.

"Yes, sir," Alai said, looking slightly confused.

"No, you don't," Graff decided. "There's only one kid on this launch with any brains at all so far, and that's Ender Wiggin." He pointed to the boy with the frosty blue eyes, who immediately turned pale. Everyone turned to look at him, some with more disgusted looks than others.

Morgan finally let out a sigh of discontent. She knew Graff's words weren't true; after all, she'd also figured out what Ender was talking about long before he even brought it up. Zero gravity wasn't so difficult to understand. But that wasn't the part that upset her. The part that ticked her off was that Graff had alienated Ender on the very first day. They weren't even at Battle School yet, and this boy had already been cut off from forming friendships any time soon.

And how was Morgan supposed to prove herself to be better than Ender when they each started off on a different field?

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews are greatly appreciated c:<strong>


	3. Chapter 02

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 02  
>A Bunk Room Divided<strong>

Eventually, the Launchies arrived at Battle School. Morgan felt a pang of disappointment when the rocket landed. She sort of liked the journey there, and found it a little too short. It wasn't like she wasn't eager for the aftermath and the start of her training, but truth be told, now that she was actually at her destination, she felt slightly afraid.

She would have no problem with the rest of the Launchies-they would be easy to crack and she'd have the upper hand eventually-but it was the veterans who've attended Battle School a couple of years prior to her arrival that bothered her. They were more advanced and had thousands of hours dedicated to their training, while Morgan had none yet. She could outsmart a bunch of newbies like herself, but she wasn't so sure about the others.

And then there was Ender, and he would probably prove himself to be slightly more difficult to overcome. He was an obstacle that clearly blocked her way to being the best. It would be a tough competition for her, especially since Graff already seemed to prefer him over everyone else. She'd have to work twice as hard as him, or do something so brilliantly stupid and reckless that the Colonel would _have_ to notice her.

One by one, the Launchies exited the rocket, walking down a hallway with neon yellow light ribbons showing the way to their dormitory. Morgan was the last in line, right behind Ender, but she noticed him stopping to talk to Colonel Graff and Major Anderson instead of continuing to walk further down. Morgan couldn't exactly overhear everything, and part of her wanted to slow down her pace to be able to eavesdrop better. But she kept walking, eventually catching up to the others.

There were only two beds left; and both of them were near the door. One was a bottom bunk on the right side and one was a top bunk on the left side. Morgan didn't like bottom bunks, mainly because people could easily walk past it and _accidentally_ hit her as she slept. So she hoisted herself up on the ladder attached to the other bunk bed and climbed up. She only made it about halfway when she heard a chubby boy named Bernard in the back say, "Oh, look, it's the smartass."

People stopped what they were doing, and Morgan turned her head slightly to look at Ender. Already, he was getting picked on. Morgan sighed to herself and swung herself up on her bunk. Her head was almost touching the ceiling, something she found inconvenient.

Ender looked around to see which bed was still available, and his face turned slightly paler when he noticed that it was the bottom bunk beside the door. Clearly, he was thinking the same thing Morgan had. Still, Morgan could tell he was trying really hard to seem unaffected by it. "Thanks," he said. "Thought I'd have to ask to be by the door."

He walked over to his bed, and Morgan smirked a little. _Good thinking, Ender_, she mentally praised him. _At least now they know you're unaffected by your sleeping arrangements_.

While everyone was chatting and getting to know each other, Morgan leaned down to say hi to the girl below her. She was shorter than Morgan and had beautiful dark skin that seemed to glow under the fluorescent lighting of the room.

"Hey," Morgan said with a little smile. "I'm Morgan."

"I'm Marjorie," she replied, gripping the banister of Morgan's bed.

"God, that's a mouthful. Can't I call you Rie or something for short?"

Marjorie raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. "Sure, if you want."

Morgan was about to say something when she heard a booming voice say, "Don't freeze your balls, kid." Her head snapped immediately towards Ender, whose hand was almost touching his laser gun. She noticed a burly man standing in the doorway, with a look of pure authority on his face. _I don't want to cross him_, Morgan thought.

"Attention on deck!" someone shouted.

Morgan jumped off the top bed and joined the others, standing beside her bunk. "At ease," the man said. Everyone relaxed their positions and parted their legs slightly, hands behind their backs. "Listen up, Launchies! My name is Sergeant James Dap." He began to walk down the middle aisle. "Ask me a legitimate question and I will give you a direct answer. But if you're looking for a shoulder to cry on, use a pillow." A couple of kids chuckled, but Dap turned around abruptly. "Do I look like I'm joking, _snots!_"

"Sir, no, sir!"

"Good. You are to work as a team. You will all make this bunk room your home. You will keep your home clean. There are separate showers for both sexes. If you are found in an area not designated to your gender, I will personally neuter you." Morgan's face turned red as she tried to stifle her laughter. Dap didn't notice. "Am I clear?!" he shouted.

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Dap made eye contact with Ender, and his entire aura seemed to change. Something about Ender ticked him off; Morgan could see that clearly.

"Classes in five! Follow the yellow lights. Yellow like your cowardly selves!"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Morgan watched as Dap walked out of the room, and her glare could be felt all throughout the room. Cowardly? How dare he call them cowardly? They made it this far, and it takes guts to venture up into space to be trained at an international Battle School.

She'd show him otherwise.

Marjorie and Morgan walked to class together, and they sat down beside each other, quietly whispering to themselves about their first impressions of Battle School. Morgan was slightly surprised when Ender took a seat next to her, but he didn't look at her once, so it couldn't have been because he desired her presence. She felt uneasy with him around, and she tried to hide it, but her expression must have been pretty simple for Marjorie to read since she rubbed Morgan's arm and gave her a comforting smile.

After an introductory message from Colonel Graff, a video of Mazer Rackham's battle against the Formics appeared on the giant screen in the front of the classroom. Morgan's seen it before, so watching it again wasn't really all that exciting. The video was cut right after Mazer Rackham flew his plane right into the heart of the Formics' main ship, and the seal of the IF was showed at the end. Most of the kids around her started to cheer.

Ender didn't.

He was dead serious about it, a million different thoughts running through his mind. Morgan wished she could read his mind and figure out what went on in that brain of his. She couldn't put a finger on his character, and it annoyed her. Normally, she would be able to figure out what kind of person someone was based on how they carried themselves and how they acted. For example, Bernard was a downright Neanderthal with an ego the size of a spaceship. But Ender? Morgan couldn't figure him out at all.

His blue eyes seemed to judge everything and everyone, analyzing things carefully. Should those eyes ever start analyzing Morgan, she didn't know what she'd do. He was bound to judge her one day, and that day might have been closer than Moran dared to admit. After all, this was practically a competition between everyone in the bunk room to see who was the best. If it came down to just Morgan and Ender, he'd try to figure out how her brain function. Morgan didn't know whether he'd be successful in doing so or not. And that scared her.

They went to different classes afterwards. The Battle School was based heavily on mathematics and science. They studied astronomy, the geoscience of the planets around them, physics, and the biology of Formics, but Morgan found herself loving the Formal sciences a lot more. She stood out among everyone when she corrected their Mathematics teacher, and stuck out even more when she was called out to demonstrate several problems in front of everyone. When the entire class was given a couple of logic puzzles, Morgan finished first and her reasoning was, according to their teacher, "sharper than a two-edged sword". She could feel the burning glares of some boys in the room-especially Bernard. When she glanced at Ender, he was deep in thought, but his pale cerulean eyes had not started to judge her just yet.

When they walked back to their bunk room, Marjorie and Morgan were still talking about the problems they'd been asked to solve in class. Marjorie wasn't like Bernard; she found Morgan as a good resource to learn from, and didn't resent her intellect. It wasn't like Morgan boasted about it, either. She might have placed herself at the top of the class in her mind, but she wasn't about to get cocky in front of everyone. Especially not on the first day.

But then Bernard had something to say about that.

"And I thought Ender was the only smartass here," he sneered.

Morgan was in the process of unzipping her uniform, and she smirked at Bernard's comment. "Scared, Bernard? Maybe you should start studying a little harder if you want to keep up." _Crap, that sounded too cocky, _Morgan cursed internally. Her eyes instinctively flashed to Ender's bunk. She noticed he took out his desk and was glancing back at her a couple of times.

"I'd shut my mouth if I were you, Bellar," Bernard huffed. Morgan smiled. He had no comeback.

"Well, you're _not_ me," she said. "So bug off."

She saw Ender's lips curl up slightly, but Morgan realized that he wasn't looking at her but at his desk. She turned her attention elsewhere.

When everyone had gone to bed, Morgan found herself staring at the ceiling, completely unable to fall asleep. She sat up and peered over the banister to see whether Marjorie was awake or not, but the smaller girl was sleeping soundly, curled up in a little ball. Morgan looked over at Ender's bunk. Alai, the boy who puked on the way to Battle School, was snoring quietly on the top bunk. She craned her neck to see Ender, but by the looks of it, he was asleep as well.

But then he opened his eyes as if he knew he was being watched. His gaze met Morgan's, and for a few seconds, they just stared at each other in silence. And then, Ender smiled. And it wasn't one of those "I'm going to pulverize you" smiles. It was a genuine smile that reached his eyes and lit up his face.

And Morgan instinctively smiled back.


	4. Chapter 03

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 03  
>A Trio United<strong>

Morgan didn't sleep well at all. She kept waking up throughout the night, tossing and turning around in her bed. At one point, Bean snapped at her and told her to quit moving, and a couple of other kids heard his comment too, laughing quietly. She decided to get up and take a shower since it would be better than just lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. She got her clothes and towels and made her way to the girls' showers. On her way out, she snuck a glance at Ender. He was sleeping like a baby.

The water felt refreshing. Morgan took her sweet time, washing her hair thoroughly, rinsing, and repeating. Once she was done with the actual washing, she sat down on the cool tile, her back resting against the wall, letting the water fall on her. She held her breath as long as her lungs would allow, and once she got bored with that, she took as much water as she could into her mouth and tried to spit it out as high as possible.

After her forty-five minute shower, Morgan towel-dried her hair and changed into a white shirt and pants (her required attire). She tiptoed back to the bunk room, just as it was getting close to being four in the morning. She was about to climb up onto her bed when she heard a small voice.

"Where were you?"

Morgan turned her head and saw Ender sitting up in his bunk. She glanced around the room and saw that everyone else was asleep-or so she assumed them to be. She walked over to Ender's bed, resting her forearm on the banister above.

"I took a shower," she said.

"_That_ long?"

Morgan laughed. "Don't tell me you've never taken long showers before, Wiggin."

"You couldn't sleep, huh?"

"Not really. You?"

"Me neither." They stayed silent for a few seconds, until Ender scooted back to make room for Morgan. She eagerly sat down next to him, feeling a little victorious in knowing that Ender was beginning to slightly warm up to her. "Your solutions in Math class were pretty amazing," he said.

"I bet you could've come up with better answers," Morgan said. _Modesty is a virtue. Play it humble. _"Did you finish the homework we got for Astronautics?" she asked. "Because rocket science is _not_ my forte." _Liar_.

"Did you... have trouble with it?"

_No_.

"Sort of. I mean, I got past the first step in solving the problem, but I'm pretty sure I did that wrong too."

Ender swallowed quietly and then looked up at Morgan. "Bring your desk over. I can show you how to do it, if you want."

And so, Morgan and Ender spent a good hour tutoring each other. First, it was Ender teaching Morgan more about rocket science (even though she was no stranger to the subject). Then, it was Morgan teaching Ender about demonstrating scientific facts using equations and utilizing the Formal sciences she was so familiar with. It wasn't often that Morgan would find herself in the presence of someone with intellectual abilities matching hers, but she damn liked it. For once, her sharp mind was being appreciated by someone. At that moment, it didn't matter to Morgan anymore that she and Ender were technically competing against each other. They could both learn something important from one another, and his company seemed to make Morgan feel more at ease now. She could savour the sensation that came along with friendship for now.

"I hope the mail will get sent through," Ender said once they were done with their tutoring. Morgan leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. Ender continued to talk. "I tried to send my sister a letter earlier."

"Are we even allowed to do that?" Morgan said, frowning.

"I think so. Did _you_ try to send any letters back home?"

Morgan's mind flickered to an image of her little brother, and her chest seemed to cave in. "No. And I probably won't send any at all." Ender wanted to ask by the looks of it, but he stayed silent. "It's not that I don't love my family, Ender. Don't get the wrong idea. It's just that it would hurt a lot for them if I kept in touch."

"In case you don't come home," Ender guessed. "You're worried about that."

"Exactly. In case I don't come home at all. In case I end up dying in another Formic attack, or in case they decide they need me for an undetermined period of time."

Ender traced small patterns on his bed sheets. He nodded at Morgan's words, and the girl could see how talking of home made him feel. "I wonder how fast we'll progress," he said.

"I wonder too," Morgan mused, a distant look in her eyes. "I don't think you'll stay here much longer. I think you'll be transferred quickly. I'll give you a couple of months at the most."

"Why do you say that?" Ender asked, lifting his head up.

"Look around, Ender. You're good. You're _really_ good. It won't be long until they find a better place for your abilities." Then, she laughed. "Don't forget me when you leave, though," she added.

Ender smiled. "How could I? You're the only friend I've got here."

Not five minutes passed since Morgan returned to her bed, when Dap came in and started to yell. "Wakey-wakey, rise and shine! Put on your battle room suits! That's the padded one, with the helmet, and the weapon!" Everyone was scrambling out of bed, lining up near their bunks. "Do not attempt to fire the weapon!" Dap continued. "Holster it. Let's move it, Launchies, you've got ten minutes!"

Morgan was grateful she already took a shower. She quickly began to get dressed, trying hard to not let any of the boys see more skin than they should. She glanced back at Ender, and gave him a reassuring smile. After a couple of minutes, Morgan was zipping up her suit, moving around the room awkwardly to get used to how tight it was. It was hard for her to admit, but she felt extremely self-conscious.

As Bean was grabbing his helmet, his gaze fell upon Morgan. He tried hard to keep from snickering. "You know, there are some people who should _not_ be allowed to wear skin-tight suits," he said.

Morgan's face turned bright red. A couple of other kids chuckled. She straightened up, sucking in her stomach as much as she could. She couldn't have looked _that_ bad. Sure, she wasn't as skinny as some of the girls on the launch, but she was glad for it. Besides, this was Battle School, not Modeling School. It shouldn't matter.

Bernard laughed too, but Bean turned and glared at him. "That includes you too, Bernard."

That made Morgan hate Bean a little less.

They made their way to the battle room in a well-organized formation. Morgan was two kids down from Ender, but she could still see his head because of his height. He looked caught up in his own thoughts, so Morgan didn't look at him again in fear of seeming too clingy.

"At ease," Colonel Graff said. "This is the battle room. In here, the floor has been designed to create an Earth-like gravitational pull. Step through that gate"-he pointed at the gate behind him-"and you're in a Zero G environment." He grabbed a device from a compartment in the wall (it looked a lot like a hook), and then looked at the group of Launchies in front of him. "Wiggin. Get up here." Of course, everyone turned to look at Ender, and Morgan knew exactly what he was feeling. Curse Graff for alienating him again.

Ender walked up to the gate just as it opened. He breathed in a couple of times, and then looked at Graff. "What do I do now, sir?"

"Go on in," Graff instructed.

Ender grabbed a hold of a handle outside the gate and eased himself out into the battle room. Morgan couldn't exactly see what was going on because Ender wasn't in clear sight, but she heard Graff say, "Alright now, push off."

Ender did as he was told, shakily coiling up close to the handles and pushing himself out into the battle room. He floated with ease, and Morgan almost wanted to break the formation to catch a better glimpse of him. As he was spinning into the air, he crashed into a star-like obstacle. He grunted but kept floating forward. Not a second later he crashed into another one, but this time Ender gripped onto it for dear life. Marjorie gave Morgan an amused look and shook her head; she must've felt the atmosphere between those two shift overnight.

Graff looked at Morgan and nodded. The formation parted before her, and she smirked. She breathed in, took a running start, and jumped straight into the Zero G battle room, spinning forward crazily. She could hear other kids laugh behind her as they entered the battle room too, but she couldn't focus on them. Her only goal was to get to Ender.

As she was about to fly right past him, his hand shot out and grabbed her leg, pulling her towards him. He helped her grab a hold of his star, smiling warmly. "Hey, stranger," he said.

"Hey." Morgan could see Earth through the transparent walls of the battle room, and she had to look away, breathing out heavily.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just... intimidating."

"The battle room?"

"Yeah. Y'know... seeing space up close with just a window preventing you from floating off into nothingness." Her stomach clenched up, and she could feel herself get nauseous. Ender turned her head and blocked her from seeing anything but him.

"Don't think about that. You aren't gonna float away anywhere." He chuckled slightly. "It's kind of funny. You weren't nauseous on the way here but you're sick now." Morgan laughed too at how stupid it sounded. It felt better to laugh about it, especially since it was Ender who she was joking around.

Just then, Bean kicked off one of the walls, and flew in their general direction. He reached a star above them and held onto it. Ender smiled slightly. "Nicely done," he praised.

Bean glanced at the other Launchies. "These guys are still trying to stay up the way they came in," he said. "Like you said in the shuttle, there is no up and down in space.

"But we'll need _some _way to orientate in here," Ender said. He glanced at Morgan and then both of them darted their gazes around the battle room. "Maybe the enemy's gate is down."

Bean nodded, smirking. "I like it. Like they're a bug to be crushed under our feet."

"Exactly," Ender agreed. His eyes found their way back to Morgan's face, and then he looked down at his laser gun. He took it out of his holster and studied it for a quick second.

"What do you think this does?" he asked.

"Damage," Morgan replied matter-of-factly. "This is the _battle_ room. It sure as hell doesn't shoot confetti."

Bean laughed. "Let's find out."

Ender pointed the gun at a star to his right and pulled the trigger. A little wheel started to spin crazily fast, glowing more and more with each second that went by. Finally, when Ender released the trigger, a whitish-blue beam zapped from the short barrel, hitting the rock with a static noise. Immediately, the light spread throughout the star's surface like electric spider webs, and Morgan could swear it was one of the most mesmerizing things she's ever seen.

"Woah!" Bean exclaimed. "Well, _that's_ harmless," he added sarcastically. Ender smiled and kept staring at the laser gun, clearly in awe of what had just happened. "What do you think it does when it hits the suit?"

"Good question." Ender's eyes twinkled with mischievousness. He suddenly grabbed Morgan's hand (she'd never admit it, but she found herself liking it a little), and pushed off the star towards Bean. The latter gave Morgan a knowing look, and the girl's cheeks heated up. She only hoped Ender didn't notice.

"Shoot me in the leg," Ender told Bean. Morgan gripped onto the star and then huffed.

"We'll all shoot each other. Same time," Bean said, grinning, flipping himself around to be on the other two Launchies' level. Morgan pushed off a little to make room for Bean, gripping onto Ender's shoulder so she wouldn't float too far from the boys. They removed their guns from their holsters and then exchanged looks. "Ready?"

"In three," Ender began.

"Two," they all continued. "One."

And right then, Ender shot Morgan in the leg, Morgan shot Bean, and Bean shot Ender. Morgan gasped when she felt the laser hit her suit. Her muscles contracted tightly, her leg becoming numb and immobile. She tried to move it, but it was as if her nerves had stopped functioning completely. It was similar to the sensation of her foot falling asleep, except the feeling flowed throughout her entire calf and up her thigh as well.

"Woah! My leg's frozen!" Bean exclaimed.

"Mine too," Ender said, grunting a little. "I can't bend my knee." He bit his lip slightly and then pushed off the star, his arms extended. "Shoot me in the chest!" Bean was a little too stunned at first, but then Ender added, "Come on, I'm getting away!"

Bean got ready to fire his gun again, but Morgan stopped him. She smirked. "I got this." It would give her a whole lot of pleasure to shoot Ender, mainly because he would most likely end up being really vulnerable afterwards. She pulled the trigger, and the laser hit Ender right in the middle of his ribcage. The light spread throughout the suit, and Ender became as stiff as a board.

He grunted at the impact, feeling his whole body turn rigid. Morgan swallowed hard. He wasn't hurt, was he?

"This is amazing!" Ender gasped. "I can't move at all now!"

Bean grinned. "You're out of your mind," he said, clearly impressed.

Morgan didn't let Ender wander off too far; she kicked off towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him towards the nearest star. But he was frozen solid and his body didn't exactly move the right way, so when she crashed back-first into the star, he slammed into her as well. She groaned and winced, muttering a few curses under her breath.

"I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Ender asked. Part of Morgan wished that the effects of the laser gun would wear off so that Ender could hold onto the star by himself without needing her assistance, but she kind of liked him depending on her.

"I'm alright," she said. "I got you, though." Behind Ender, Morgan could see Bean observing them with an amused look on his face. He was clearly entertained, for whatever reason Morgan didn't dare to think about.

And because Colonel Graff had an excellent sense of timing, he curled his hand around the metal hook he'd taken out earlier, and waved all the Launchies back in towards the gate, unfreezing everyone who'd been shot by a laser gun. "You're flapping around like a bunch of drunken ducks," he said. "If you expect to compete with the other teams and this school, you've got a lot to learn. Sergeant?" He motioned to Dap. "Explain the game."

"Yes, sir!" Dap moved forward. "You will train to compete as a team against other teams. You get one point for a hit to a limb, six for a torso hit, which will immobilize you completely. But if either side gets one cadet through their enemy's gate unharmed, that army will win, regardless of points already scored. Am I clear?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"


	5. Chapter 04

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 04  
>Training Partners<strong>

Classes turned out to be even more tiring in the days that followed. The amount of homework and assignments they had kept on piling up, and Morgan's stress level increased. When she wasn't studying, she was in the battle room, and when she wasn't in the battle room, she was fast asleep on her bunk. Sometimes, she was even too tired to eat, and she'd rest her head on her arms and sleep during meal times.

The final straw was when they began to have combat classes. It was the second week through, and Morgan had to admit that although she was good at academics and strategic thinking, when it came to actual hand-to-hand sparring, she had no idea what to do. They were in their white uniforms in the gym, standing on the mattresses. Dap began to teach them the basics of fighting, and she was practically shaking in her spot.

All this time, she'd been smart enough to avoid physical confrontation, but even in training, things would _hurt_. She was going to get knocked down and beaten, and unless she got good fast, she would keep being everyone's punching bag. She knew Bernard and his friends would just adore to be able to hit both her and Ender, and she wasn't about to give them that satisfaction.

The first combat class was fine; it consisted of just basic training and a bit of blocking, which Morgan found bearable. She knew that she would need extra practice, and mentally made plans of training by herself during free time. A couple of other Launchies were struggling too, especially those who weren't so quick or agile. Morgan didn't look amused. She understood their pain completely.

That evening, Morgan sat on her bunk with her desk out. She was finishing up her assignments when Bean climbed up halfway up the latter and propped himself up on his elbows. "Wanna go to the gym and train some more?" he asked. There was an odd air of cheerfulness to him, which made Morgan scrunch up her nose a little.

"I'm doing homework," she said. "Maybe another time."

Bean smirked a little. "Is it 'cause you know you're bad?" he teased.

She looked up at him and pursed her lips. "I never take on a battle that I know I can't win."

"I bet if Ender asked you to come, you'd say yes," Bean said seriously.

Morgan scoffed. "What does this have to do with Ender?" But she knew he got her and it was true; if Ender had asked her to come along, she would've. It wasn't because she liked him the way normal girls her age would like boys. It was because she felt like she could trust him to some extent, and she knew they could help each other out. After all, Ender was the closest she's gotten to someone with her mindset.

"Bean, no offense, but you sound kind of desperate to hang out with me," Morgan said, changing the subject. "And a little jealous too."

Bean rolled his eyes. "Don't be so full of yourself. I only wanted to help. Been on the streets all my life, y'know. Picked up a couple of things on the way." He sighed and started to get off the ladder. "But if you don't want my help, don't think I'll cry about it at night."

He was about to walk out of the bunk room when Morgan swung her legs over the edge of her bed and jumped, catching up to him. "Fine, fine, you talked me into it." 

"You're holding your arms up wrong," Bean sighed. He practically yanked Morgan into the right position, and she winced.

"Damn it, Bean," she snapped. "What's wrong with you?"

"You're never going to be able to fight if you learn things the wrong way," he said. "Now try to hit me." Morgan swung at him, but he easily blocked her. "Put your whole body into it." She tried to swing again but he dodged and grabbed her arm, flipping her forward and onto her back. "Gotcha."

All the air in Morgan's lungs seeped out. Her entire back felt as if it was on fire after hitting the mattress hard. She coughed and gritted her teeth, swearing under her breath furiously.

"Okay, now I'm gonna teach you how to do that," Bean said.

It didn't take very long for Morgan to get it. After about half-an-hour of practicing with Bean, she managed to flip him on his back once-even though she had the feeling that if he'd been trying, she wouldn't be able to pick him off the ground at all. When they both walked back to their bunk rooms, she was sore all over. She just wanted to go take a hot shower and sleep. That's all.

But then she saw Ender sitting quietly on his bed with his desk, and when he looked up at her with his cerulean irises, she forgot all about her other plans and went to sit down next to him. "Hey," she said. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing much," he shrugged. "Homework."

"I see." He didn't look too eager to carry out the conversation, and he only had eyes for the screen of his tablet, so Morgan got up and left him alone to go talk to Bean for a while longer. But the entire time, she swore she could feel someone's eyes on her, watching intensely.


	6. Chapter 05

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 05  
>Strong Allies<strong>

Morgan didn't want to wake up the next day. She was aching all over, and the fact that she had a long day of classes, battle room training, and combat practice didn't appeal to her very much. She got up a little earlier than the rest, took a shower, and by the time she was back in the bunk room, Ender was already getting dressed beside his bed.

"Hey," Morgan said.

Ender fixated his eyes on her and then smiled in return. "Hi." She noticed her damp hair, and for a moment he said nothing. Then, his cheeks turned pink and he looked away.

No sooner did Dap come in, barking at everyone to get up. They went straight to classes, where Morgan took her usual seat beside Ender. It felt strange to not talk to him much, especially since she heard him say extremely clearly that they were _friends_. She would've thought that by now, since they were technically allies, they would chat a lot more. But she got nothing from him but a simple nod or a bit of small talk. That was all.

It wasn't until the lesson started that he tried to get her attention.

She hadn't noticed it at first, but then he began to type something on his desk. It was a message, but he didn't press "send" because it would be transmitted to all the desks in the room. Morgan tried not to look, but when he was done, Ender cleared his throat. Biting back a smile, she pretended she hadn't heard him.

Ender let out a small sigh and then nudged her hand. It felt strange to Morgan to feel his skin against hers, and it sent tingles through her entire body. She glanced up at him, and he jerked his chin towards his desk.

**Practice during free time?**

She smiled and gave him a small nod. Ender's lips curled back into a smirk, and he erased the message quickly.

Their battle room training went smoothly. Ender and Morgan didn't get to talk much or do much together, but every once in a while, she'd catch him staring, or she'd float past him and give him a smile.

After their usual combat lesson, Morgan and Ender walked in silence back to their bunks. They grabbed a couple of spare towels and headed straight back to the gym as soon as their free time started. They didn't talk much on the way, and it was probably because there were a couple of other people walking past them, which wasn't too good for private conversations. But as soon as they got to the gym, Ender broke their silence.

"I wanted to talk to you," he said, stretching a little.

"I did too," Morgan admitted. "We didn't get much talking done these past few days."

"No," he replied. They got into their stances. "How've you been?"

Morgan wanted to laugh. "Is that _all_ you can ask me?" She took a few swings at him, and he dodged them. "I thought there was something more serious you wanted to say."

"Isn't your well-being serious enough?"

"Not necessarily." Morgan grabbed Ender's arm as soon as he tried to take a hit at her, and then flipped him forward and onto his back the way Bean had taught her. She was shocked it would work on him; she'd expected him to put up more of a struggle. Maybe it was because he didn't expect that.

Ender groaned. His entire face turned into a grimace, and Morgan couldn't help but feel guilty. "You okay?" she whispered.

"Where'd you learn that?" he choked out. Morgan still had him pinned down, and for some reason, she didn't want to let him go yet. Ender didn't seem to mind it either.

"Bean taught me. Y'know, when we practiced together yesterday," she told him.

"Bean, huh?" Ender gave her a brittle smile that did not reach his eyes. "He sees you as a possible ally."

Morgan kneeled beside the dark-haired boy, releasing his grip on him. "Do _you_?"

"I do." He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. "But there's a couple of people in our bunk room who see you as a sure enemy."

The girl laughed, scooting closer to him. "Like Bernard?"

"Yeah. Like Bernard."

They sat there for a couple of minutes, not saying anything. They just looked at each other, and Morgan tried to memorize every single one of his features. From his freckles and beauty marks, to the exact coloration of his eyes, to his thin lips... Morgan tried to capture it all in her memory so she could preserve him in her mind and carry him with her everywhere.

He kept staring at her too, his eyes observing her tinted cheeks and her parted lips, and the way her eyebrows arched. Morgan felt her face heat up under his deep gaze, and he smiled when he saw her grow flustered. Morgan liked this silence, mainly because she didn't want to disrupt the beautiful feeling between the two of them.

"You want to practice some more?" Ender asked.

_No._

"Yeah."

In the few days that followed, Morgan and Ender would sit together all by themselves during mealtimes. They would share their food too; whatever one of them disliked happened to be the other's favorite. During classes, they would work together to come up with the best solutions to every problem they were assigned. In the battle room, they would form strategies and plans together, which all the Launchies would eventually follow because it sensible and logical and extremely practical. And during combat sessions, Morgan and Ender would try to develop their own fighting style, adapting the movements that Dap taught them to make them their own.

The rest of Launchies didn't take too well to this. They weren't all too dumb either, and they knew that if those two geniuses were allies, they could turn against whoever they wanted and be faced with nothing but victory. It bothered them, and both Morgan and Ender knew it. They never talked about it, but they understood perfectly.

And then one day during lunch, Morgan felt the need to address it with Ender, mainly because she couldn't stand how everyone's mood seemed to change whenever they stepped into a room.

"You do realize that they're plotting, right?" she asked him. "They're wondering how to get rid of us. They want to get us iced."

"Then let them plot," said Ender. He got up and then grabbed his tray. "Let's go to the game room. There's less people there."

In the game room, they both began to play a couple of war games against each other, and Morgan could clearly see that Ender was trying to ease the tension. The stress of winning the game seemed to actually calm her down, even though she didn't think they would at first. She was furiously chewing her upper lip in concentration, her eyes fixed on the screen.

"I won't let them get you iced," Ender said after a while. His fingers moved quickly and skillfully over the controls. "Besides, there's two of us."

"And only a couple dozen of them," Morgan shot back. "Oh, yeah. What's the worst they can do?"

"Instill fear in you. That's what they want, you know. They want you to be afraid." He smiled and glanced at her. "But you do well when you're afraid, don't you?"

"I guess."

"You must do well. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made it this far."

"It's only been a couple of weeks since we started the program. Did I really have anything to fear?"

Ender's eyes remained focused on the war game. "Everyone was afraid, you know. It would've been abnormal if you _hadn't_ been terrified." Just then, both of their spaceships exploded at the same time due to their simultaneous attacks. Ender licked his bottom lip. "Well done."

"What are you talking about?" Morgan groaned. "I lost."

She put the controller down and brushed past Ender, but he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. His eyes were fixed on hers, and their faces were only inches away. "Trust me," he whispered. "We won't get iced."

Morgan forced herself to think straight, even though there were a million different thoughts running through her head at that moment. She felt her stomach knot, and her heart was pounding into her ears, and she didn't know why or how this could be happening to her, but she liked it very much. "And when we get transferred?" she asked. "What then?"

"We're going to be strong enemies inside the battle room," Ender said. "But outside of there, we're even stronger allies. And as long as you know that and _I_ know that, we shouldn't have anything to fear."

She let herself be comforted by his words. _It's okay to believe them_, Morgan told herself. _At least, just for today._


	7. Chapter 06

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 06  
>Mind Games With Salamander<strong>

It's been a month since the start of the Battle School program, and Morgan was just beginning to get the hang of things. Homework and assignments weren't a problem for her anymore, the battle room was no longer foreign territory, and her combat sessions turned out to be great successes. At this rate, she might actually make it to be the commander of some army there in the near future. When she got transferred, that is.

She had no doubts that Graff and Anderson were watching her every move carefully. She only hoped that her actions were good enough to please them. This was a competition, after all. If she wasn't the best, she couldn't win. And there was no way she'd let herself get iced. And besides, if she got iced, she wouldn't be able to see Ender anymore.

Morgan didn't know why, but she had strong feelings for the boy. She couldn't exactly define what they were or what they meant; after all, she'd never met anyone like Ender before. He was completely strange to her, and yet he was also so terrifyingly familiar. Sometimes, Morgan could see part of herself in him, and it scared her because no one has come close to matching her in anything before.

And yet here was Ender, a genius in all fields, and Morgan didn't want to admit this but he was better than her in some ways. He was serious and reserved, but with her he could laugh and be more at ease. Hanging out with him during free time was the best part of Morgan's day, and she only hoped Ender could say the same.

Bean would sometimes give her knowing looks as if he had more of an idea as to what was happening than she did. And it was true; he probably did understand better how the human mind worked when it came to deep feelings like the ones Morgan felt. She just couldn't pinpoint what they were. Ender was her friend-a very good one, at that-but sometimes, she wanted them to be even closer than that. She wanted him to be able to trust her more than anyone at this school-no, wait, more than anyone in the world. She wanted him to count on her and depend on her and turn to her for advice and help. She wanted him to need her and want her with him.

But Ender wasn't like that and Morgan knew that there were some lines he would never cross. He had a solitary nature, and as much as she tried to hang around, she knew that one day he'd grow to be independent, and then he wouldn't need her anymore. One day, she knew that he would become a commander so skilled that no one in the world-not even her-could compare to him. And that day could've been coming sooner than Morgan wanted to believe.

Morgan was in the game room, and she was playing a war game against the computer, when a couple of older boys walked up to her. She didn't pay any attention to them at first, but they didn't leave and they kept on staring, which made her really uncomfortable.

"Do you need anything?" she asked, still looking at the game.

"I want to play against you," one of them said. "I heard you're a smartass Launchie."

_Now, where could you have possibly heard that?_ Morgan asked mentally.

"When I finish my current game," she replied calmly.

The boy who spoke scoffed. "I don't think you get to decide." He pushed a button on the controllers and the game ended immediately. Morgan's glare was deadly; she'd been so close to winning that she could've practically tasted victory.

"And if I don't _want_ to play?" Morgan hissed.

The boy laughed. "Well I don't think you got too much of a choice." Morgan looked around to see the other three guys around her, standing with their arms crossed over their chest and a mean look on their faces. She knew that it would be total suicide if she tried to run away, plus it would hurt her reputation and her ego _badly_. If she played, she could risk the chance of losing, especially since she had no idea how her opponent thought or acted in battle simulations.

Her eyes darted among the four boys' uniforms, and she noticed that they were dressed in camouflage pants and olive green shirts. She didn't know too many armies in the school, but she did recognize theirs. They were part of the Salamander army, and the Salamander army was at the top of the rankings. Everyone in there was good-though not everyone was as strategically gifted.

Morgan smiled. "Alright, fine. Let's play."

It was a space battle simulation, something that Morgan was very used to. She emptied her thoughts, cleared her mind, and evened out her breathing. _No need to get stressed_, she said. _It's nothing I can't handle._ Then, she smirked. _Time to see what Salamander can do_.

She steered her ship craftily, evading asteroids and laser beams from her opponent's spaceship. Out of the corner of her eye, Morgan could see the Salamander boy become tense in his muscles, and he gripped the controller harder than he should've. _I'm getting to you, aren't I?_ Morgan chuckled to herself. It didn't stop there; she would have the guy almost think that he could win, when in reality, she had him right where she wanted him. He followed her ship senselessly, hoping to get a clear shot at her, but whenever it would seem that he would pulverize her, Morgan would easily escape. She was as slippery as melted butter.

And then she got him, and the boy didn't expect it at all. He hadn't expected her to swerve out of the way and then come straight back to attack. All this time, she'd been pretending to get away, when she was really just waiting for her chance to take over the offence.

"Damn it!" the Salamander shouted. There'd been a crowd of Launchies gathered up behind them, and Morgan was glad she didn't notice them. They might've distraught her during the actual game.

"You should've walked away when you had the chance," Morgan said. "Now look what happened. You got beaten by a Launchie. Who's a girl."

She knew riling him up wasn't such a good idea, but she couldn't help it. It felt good to win, and it felt even better when others noticed too. And after all, she'd won fair and square. It was easier than she thought it'd be.

"Let's play again!" he seethed.

_No!_ She knew she wouldn't be as victorious the second time around. After all, she wouldn't be able to pull the same tricks twice. He'd be expecting them.

"Maybe later. I've got other plans."

Morgan began to walk away, when the Salamander boy grabbed her arms and yanked her back forcefully. She wanted to cry out, but kept her mouth shut. As soon as he grabbed her, a voice called out. "Leave her alone. She beat you already." Morgan turned to see Bean standing there among the small group of Launchies that had bunched around the gaming system. "Let her go."

The boy did as he was told, but he cussed loudly and kept on swearing on the way out of the game room. Morgan was relieved; she didn't want to have to use violence if it came down to it, especially since she was still a beginner when it came to fighting. She gave Bean a grateful nod, and then went to play another game by herself.

Her only regret was that Ender wasn't there to see her.


	8. Chapter 07

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 07  
>His Goodbye<strong>

Three months into the program, the Launchies' combat sessions in the gym became much more intense and tiring. Morgan's body ended up being covered by bruises, and she would spend a lot of time in the shower, trying to count them all. She got up to twenty-seven.

Ender and her talked occasionally, but she felt closer to him than she'd ever felt to anyone. Sometimes, they would go to the game room together, where Ender learned of how Morgan defeated the Salamander boy, and he ended up making a name for himself too. Other times, Ender and Morgan would sit next to each other in the bunk room, and they'd try to come up with unusual but efficient solutions to their Aeronautics homework. It was because of this that Morgan found out Ender wasn't as brilliant in rocket science as he was in other subjects.

It was perfect; they were thriving off each other, learning how each other's minds worked, and they were quickly beginning to turn into a powerhouse. People knew it. Morgan knew it too. It was only a matter of time until one of them got promoted. After all, there was no reason not to promote them.

Ender would spend part of his free time writing letters to his sister back on Earth, Valentine. Morgan thought her name was extremely beautiful-and if she looked anything like Ender, then it fit her perfectly. When he wrote his letters, he wanted to be left alone, so Morgan decided to clean her laser gun in the meantime. She took it apart, quickly beginning to wipe it down and polish it. It took her a while to put it back together, and by the time she finished, Sergeant Dap walked in.

"Attention on deck!" Dap exclaimed.

Everyone took their usual spot behind their bunks. Colonel Graff walked in shortly after. "Evening, Launchies. At ease," he said. "I'm pleased to see that most of you are performing well. As you know, competition for Command School is tough." _But I'll get there, _Morgan thought. _Both me and Ender._ "Some in the higher ranks have failed to meet our standards and are being sent home. So, I may have the opportunity to promote some of you. Look to your left." They did. "Look to your right." They did. "These are not your friends. They are competition."

Morgan knew that Graff must've been keeping really close tabs on her friendship with Ender. He knew that they were close, and he either didn't want it to go on at all, or he wanted to see whether their friendship was strong enough to last even once one of them got promoted. Morgan was pretty sure it was the latter he seeked.

"Keep up the hard work," Graff said.

"Attention!" Dap shouted.

As Graff got ready to leave, Ender spoke up. "Sir," he said. "Is our e-mail being blocked?" When Graff turned around, Ender continued. "It's just that none of us have received any replies from home."

"All communication is being temporarily held back," Graff said.

"Why, sir?"

"_Launchie_," Dap warned. "It is not your place-" But Graff motioned for him to be quiet and advanced towards Ender.

"Your families will not understand what we're doing here," Colonel Graff replied. "And none of you need the distraction of their replies."

Morgan prayed Ender would shut up, but he kept on going at it.

"I thought our privacy rights had been restored, sir."

This angered Graff. "You have the right to _privately_ think whatever you wish, Wiggin. But there's too much at stake to allow your unfiltered thoughts to leave this facility."

"Yes, sir," Ender said. There was a look of resentment in his eyes, a look that Morgan didn't like seeing from him.

Graff walked out, and it was Dap's turn to chew Ender out. "Keep it up, snot, and you will _never_ make it to Command School," he threatened.

"I thought it was a legitimate question," Ender argued.

"What?"

"You said if we had a legitimate question-"

"_DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY!"_ Dap screamed. Morgan gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes at how stupid Ender was being. This wasn't supposed to be happening; he wasn't supposed to draw attention to himself in a bad way. Did he want to be the self-professed rulebreaker of the Battle School?

Ender began to do his push-ups, and everyone was slowly turning their heads to look at him. They had a look of pity on, mainly because it was too embarrassing to watch Ender do this to himself. Dap kneeled down beside him. "You think you're the smartest kid in this school," he accused.

"No, sir."

"You will never be a commander! I will never salute _you_!"

"Yes you will, Sergeant."

"Give me twenty more!"

Everyone was staring now. They couldn't help it. And Ender only added more fuel to the fire, which Morgan found extremely dumb from his part. And he was supposed to be a genius. Go figure.

He wasn't done his push-ups, but Dap told him to get up. "You do not speak unless spoken to," he ordered. He turned to the rest of the Launchies. "Am I clear?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Even if I have a legitimate question-"

"_SHALL WE GO THROUGH IT AGAIN?!" _Dap straightened up, and Ender inhaled sharply through his nose. "Now, go to sleep. All of you."

But even after Dap walked out of the room, everyone was still tense. They all shifted their bodies to look at Ender. Bean gave him a smile and a nod. "You heard him," Ender said. "Get some sleep." He glanced at Morgan, probably to see if she approved of his actions like Bean had, but he got no such response from her. Instead, she scoffed and climbed up on her bunk.

Morgan could see Ender lie down on his bunk with a displeased look on his face. Maybe she shouldn't have been so cold to him, but after all, it was his fault. He shouldn't have made Dap angry like that. He should've just followed the rules like a good boy and get on people's good side. Wasn't he the one who said that one should be viewed as a possible ally and not a sure enemy?

She didn't sleep well that night.

"We have only four passing scores on the Deep Space Navigation test," the teacher, Ms. Behari, said. "Alai, Bean, Ender, and Morgan. What happened here?"

"They probably cheated," Bernard said.

"Your mother cheated. That's why you look like a plumber," Bean shot back. Morgan couldn't help but laugh along with the rest of the class.

"Zip it!" Ms. Behari shouted. "You think this is a game?"

"No, ma'am," Bernard sighed.

"We are preparing for war."

"Yes, ma'am," Bean said.

The teacher turned to face the screen. "Now, the problem was simple. How do you slingshot your forces into an attack position on the blind side of this moon using the gravitational pull from this planet? This is basic rocket science, people." She looked around the room. "Ender. Get down here and explain."

He looked up from his desk, as he'd been in the middle of typing out something. Morgan didn't bother to try and see what it was.

"Ma'am, I think Bean or Alai or Morgan have a better handle on this than I do," he excused himself.

Ms. Behari accepted that. "Alright, Alai, come and explain."

As Alai went down to the front of the classroom, Ender nudged Morgan so that she could look at his desk. Morgan payed no mind to him. She kept her eyes focused on the demonstration of the problem's solution. However, Ender's hand hit her thigh hard, and she shot him a glare. "Look," he mouthed to her.

She peered over at his desk and saw a message.

**Sit with me at lunch?**

Morgan sighed and was about to type out her own message when a text flashed across everyone desk.

**Look out! It's the captain of the vomit comet!**

Everyone started to giggle. "Something funny?" Ms. Behari asked, letting silence spread throughout the class. "Go on, Alai." It wasn't funny at all. So, Ender began to type out a message in return.

**Bernard is living proof that chimps still fly into space. **

The class laughed even louder at this.

"Who sent this?" Bernard asked, clearly enraged.

"Who sent what, Bernard?" the teacher countered.

"Nothing."

Ms. Behari stepped up to read the message from one of the girls' desks. "Oh. If you can't take it, Bernard, don't dish it out."

"Yes, ma'am."

Morgan gave Ender a small smile. It was kind of cool of him to defend Alai like that. She leaned over and typed something on his desk.

**I'll sit with you if I can have some of your brownie.**

This made Ender grin.

At lunch, Ender revealed the real reason why he wanted to sit with her so urgently, even if they always sat together on their own accord. "You're mad at me because of yesterday, aren't you?" he asked.

"What? Why do you say that?" Morgan laughed, taking a bite out of her food.

"You know why." He was referring to the scene he'd caused with Dap. "Did it embarrass you?"

"A little. I mean, here we all were, thinking that you were smart enough not to cause any animosities between you and authority figures. Clearly, that was a wrong assumption."

"Are you really going to just follow the rules and obey them like a puppy? Don't you see what they want from us?" he pressed on.

"And what _do_ they want, Ender?"

Ender leaned forward in his seat, his food untouched. "No one can ever be a good commander if they're born to follow others," he told her. "They want to weed out the natural leaders from the rest."

"So, you think you can prove yourself as a leader by giving them lip? Wow, what a plan," Morgan teased.

Wiggin didn't look too happy with how jokingly she was taking this. "You're smart, Morgan. Are you really going to let them step all over you like that?"

This struck a nerve in her. "_You _told me that it was better to be a possible ally than a-"

Ender groaned before she could finish. "There's a difference between being an ally and being a pawn," he reminded her.

She frowned. "So now I'm so weak-minded that they can control me. Is that it?"

"That's not what I said." He sighed. "Look, if we follow the rules, we won't ever make it to Command School."

Morgan stayed silent. She kept on eating her food, not daring to look up at Ender. The silence between them grew heavy, and even when he offered her his brownie like he'd promised, she didn't take it.

Moments after, Alai took a seat beside Morgan. He stayed quiet and didn't say anything, but it made Ender smile slightly. Morgan looked away.

Another boy took a seat beside Ender. Then Bean got up from his table, followed by a bunch of other boys. They all sat down at Ender's table, leaving Bernard behind to eat alone. This was the way things were in their army now. Everyone was siding with Ender. And it only took three months.

The boys struck a conversation with Ender, but throughout it all, Ender kept staring at Morgan for any signs of possible softness in her features. She remained rigid and cold as ever.

Morgan was on her bed, doing some practice rocket science problems during her free time. Ender was in the bunk room too; he was working on his tablet, doing God knows what. Morgan snuck glances at him once in a while, feeling a little guilty for being so harsh to him. She didn't really have any reason to be this way, so she blamed it all on the way he made her feel. It was confusing because she didn't understand how she could worry so much about him all the time, and yet he didn't have a single clue about it. She found him difficult to understand, but so easy to care about.

Morgan saw Alai join Ender on his bed, and this made her frown. What could Ender be possibly doing that was so interesting? She jumped down from her bunk and took a seat beside Ender on his left. He smiled at her and scooted over to make more room.

"_One is poison, one is not. Choose right and you go to Fairyland._" She looked over at his screen and saw a giant and a mouse, and a table with two glasses.

"Which one are you going to choose?" Alai asked.

"Neither," Ender said. The mouse that he was controlling climbed up on one of the glasses, and as the giant leaned in closer, the mouse jumped straight into its eye, crawling inside its eye socket. The giant screamed painfully, and fell to the ground. Alai sat back and away from Ender, looking at him in shock.

"You killed him," he whispered. "Why?"

"That's what they want from us," Ender said in a dark tone. "Follow the rules, you lose. Choose violence, you win."

And that was when Morgan understood what he'd been trying to tell her at lunch. She felt her face turn pale, realizing that Ender was right all along. She couldn't play by the rules.

Ender got a message at that moment. "Ender Wiggin, you're assigned to Salamander army, commander Bonzo Madrid, effectively immediately. Orders of Colonel Graff. Follow the green lights. Take nothing with you. Go now."

Morgan's eyes widened. No, no, _no_. _Not yet, _she thought. _They can't take him away just yet._

"What are they doing?" Ender asked worriedly.

"They're promoting you," Alai replied, smiling.

Morgan tensed up beside Ender, a feeling of nausea overcoming her. They were promoting him? Right now?

But even though she wasn't ready for this, Ender got up and gave her a reassuring smile. He didn't waste any time; in a few seconds, he was out the door.

It hurt. It stung to no end. Morgan's vision blurred with tears that threatened to fall, and her chest constricted painfully. She couldn't comprehend what had happened-did Ender really just get transferred to the Salamander army? Or was it all just a terrible nightmare that she would wake up from in a short while? But the pain was too real for it to be a nightmare. Her best friend just walked out the door and wouldn't be coming back again. This was the last time Ender Wiggin sat in the bottom bunk by the door, and this was also probably the last time the two of them would be on the same team. From now on, they were enemies. And she still hadn't gotten to apologize for being so cold to him. She still had so much to tell him, and they had so much to teach each other, and it couldn't just end this way. _Give me one more day with him!_ she pleaded internally. _At least a few more hours!_

Morgan saw Alai get up and walk out of the bunk room. She heard both his voice and Ender's, and when Alai came back inside, she knew Ender had really left for good and that there was no stopping him. Alai jerked his chin towards the exit.

"Go," he said. "You'll regret it if you don't."

And she did as he told her, sprinting after Ender at full speed. The boy turned around when he heard her coming, and gave her another one of his smiles. "Morgan-" She didn't let him finish, though. Morgan threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug, trying her best to not let the tears fall. She heard Ender take in a shaky breath, and he wrapped his arms around her too. They both stood like that for a good minute, neither of them wanting to let go.

But Morgan was the first to pull away, and her eyes were red and her nose was runny, and even though she didn't cry at all, it damn sure looked like it. "_We're going to be strong enemies in the battle room_," she quoted Ender. "_But out of there, we're even stronger allies._"

"We're even stronger _friends_," he corrected. "Friends, Morgan."

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his cheek, pulling back just as quickly. Ender stood there stunned at first, but then his face turned pink and he gently touched the spot she'd kissed with the tips of his fingers. "I'm sorry, Ender," she whispered, before turning around and running out of sight.

When she returned to the bunk room, her chest went back to feeling empty. Her eyes instinctively flickered to Ender's bed, and when she finally got hit by the sudden realization of him being gone, she let a small sob escape her lips.

That night, Morgan cried.


	9. Chapter 08

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 08**

**A New Family**

When Morgan woke up due to Dap's yelling, she scrambled out of bed and squinted around. Something felt off and she couldn't figure out what. It was like a part of her was missing, an empty feeling taking over her body slowly. She tried to shake it off and it bothered her to no end. And then she remember that Ender was gone, and suddenly the feeling became a thousand times worse.

As she was getting dressed, a couple of other people voiced Ender's absence.

"Hey where's Wiggin?"

"Yeah, where is he?"

"Why is his bed empty?"

Morgan and Alai made eye contact and he gave her a comforting smile. It didn't comfort her much though. It was sort of pointless.

"He got promoted," she said. "To the Salamander army."

The others whispered among themselves.

"Why didn't you get transferred too?" Bernard sneered. "I thought you were a genius as well. Not so tough now that Wiggin is gone, are you?"

Morgan didn't reply. Her time would come eventually. She knew Bernard couldn't hurt her and she knew he had no power over her and she also knew it didn't take much to show him how capable she was.

"She's more of a genius than you," Bean shot back. He looked in her direction, giving her a nod. Morgan was grateful.

It wasn't big news anymore to hear that Salamander army won their battle that morning. That made it the 22nd win in a row, and they were still standing at the top of the ranking charts. Morgan didn't find it too much of a big deal.

What she was amazed at was the strategy they used to win. They left Ender behind as everyone else played, and when everything was chaotic and the Salamander team was about to lose, he got into the game and began to shoot people left and right. She was sure that there was more to that game than the Salamander army would let out.

At lunch, Morgan took in a deep breath and walked over to the Salamander table. She saw Ender smile at her, but she stopped in front of the Salamander commander first.

"Amazing job," she praised. "Your strategy was perfect." Her words were laced with a sentiment of resentment, and the commander could feel it clearly. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Bonzo Madrid," he grunted, looking up at her. Then he added, "Beat it, Launchie."

Morgan raised an eyebrow and moved through to see Ender. "Real nice commander you got there," she said, loud enough for Bonzo to hear. "He's such a sweetheart."

A couple of the Salamanders chuckled. "Ho, Morgan," Ender said.

"Ho, Ender."

The boy cleared his throat and motioned to the girl in front of him. "This is Petra Arkanian," he said. "And this is Morgan Bellar." Ender motioned to her, smiling softly.

Petra grinned "I heard a lot about you," she said, holding out her hand. Morgan shook it warmly. "Ender talked about you all the way back from the battle room yesterday."

"Yesterday? You guys went to the battle room?"

"Yeah, I taught him how to aim better during free time," Petra said innocently.

Morgan felt slightly betrayed. Her brows furrowed, and she looked down a little. Right after he got transferred, Ender found a new partner to train with. The very same day that she kissed his cheek, he found someone else to be his friend. While she was busy missing him and wanting to be in his presence, he was feeling right at home with another person-a stranger, at that.

Morgan let out a brittle laugh. "I'm glad he's got himself a friend. He could really use one." He could have Petra if he wanted. It didn't matter to her. Ender had replaced her already and it hadn't even been a full 24 hours.

Hastily, she left the lunch room, not bothering to eat. She got back to her bunk room, and being the only one there, Morgan's eyes began to tear up. She laid down on Ender's old bed, inhaling his scent off his sheets. Her tears soaked the pillow, but she was too busy drowning her emotions than to care about that. She felt an empty sensation overwhelm her, and she wondered whether this is what heartbreak felt like.

She'd grown to love Ender. She'd grown to feel affection for the boy. She wasn't in love with him, but she certainly wanted him beside her, and she couldn't get enough of his smile and his voice and his eyes. It hurt to think about him, in a way that shouldn't have hurt her at all. She was supposed to feel a sense of belonging when Ender clouded her thoughts. But she felt nothing but an ache in her chest.

Once she wiped her tears away, she saw that there was a message on her desk.

"Morgan Bellar, report to the Scorpion army, commander Dorian Kohler. Follow the white lights. Take nothing with you. Effective immediately."

She kept on repeating the words in her mind, trying to understand what was going on. The Scorpion Army? Dorian Kohler? Effective immediately? They were transferring her? This made Morgan frown. She was getting transferred the next morning after Ender joined the Salamander Army. And it was one thing for Ender to leave the Launchies, but it was a whole other thing for her to leave as well.

Slowly, she made her way outside the bunk room and followed the white lights to the right. The Scorpion bunk room wasn't that far away from the Launchies, so Morgan felt a little more comfortable feet moved swiftly down the corridor, and when she got to the entrance, she paused and breathed in. This is it. Mustering up every ounce of courage in her body, she walked inside, head held high and fingers curled up tightly into fists.

Morgan's eyes scanned around the room. There were only a few guys around-five, actually-and when they heard her come in, they lifted their heads up and locked their gaze on her. Three of them were sitting together on one bunk, hunched over a tablet, and the other two were at their own beds, cleaning their laser guns.

"I'm Morgan Bellar. I'm supposed to report to Dorian Kohler," she said. "I'm the new transfer."

The boys all exchanged a look, and then smirked. "Dorian's out at lunch. He should be back in a few minutes," one said. Then, he jerked his chin towards a bunk in the middle of the right aisle. "That's your bed."

Morgan only had time to open her locker and glance at her new uniform, because as soon as she did, more kids arrived. There were also three girls, and they seemed to feel right at home in the Scorpion army.

There was a guy who stood out from the rest. He was a little taller than Morgan-but not as tall as Ender, she noticed-and he had blond hair and a pair of dark brown eyes that were very similar to her own. He held an air of authority, and even though he was smiling and laughing with the others, he wasn't like the others at all. He must be Dorian, Morgan thought.

His eyes landed on hers, and he grinned. "You must be Morgan," he guessed, walking over to her. She straightened up, hands behind her back.

"Yes, sir."

Dorian laughed, and the others chimed in. "I know it's probably wrong of me, but I don't allow my army to call me 'sir' unless we're in front of Graff or anyone important like that. So call me Dorian. Please."

Morgan hesitated. "Yes, Dorian."

This made Dorian's grin widen. "There you go." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and motioned to everyone in the room. "This is your family now. We're the only ones you can count on. There isn't anyone else who you'll be able to trust more from now on."

Not even Ender.

"You're not on the list of the top ten armies," Morgan said. "Why did they place me here?"

This caused a few guys to snicker. Dorian shot them a glare. "Because you're meant to save us. The Scorpion army needs someone young and inventive, and that's why I asked for a Launchie. Besides, I heard you're one of the best. It should be easy for the Scorpion army to get back in the game now."

It took Morgan a while to get used to his over-friendliness, especially since she wasn't used to hugging people and having others wrap their arms around her. Dorian ruffled her hair and pushed her forward towards her locker. "Get suited up. We're gonna practice in the battle room in ten minutes."

It wasn't very usual for Morgan to be directing things in the battle room. She used to do as she was told, even though a huge part of her hated to be bossed around. But being in the Scorpion army was different. Her opinion counted. Even Dorian was looking to her for strategic moves and advice.

"Toon B, go down the right side of the battle room," she said. "You'll be out of sight behind the cluster of stars, while toon C will fire from underneath."

"But what's the point of toon B being behind those stars?" a girl asked.

"They'll be ready for an ambush when the enemy turns their back on them," Morgan explained. When toon C captures their enemies' attention, toon B will strike."

It wasn't much of a strategy, mainly because the Scorpion army was extremely uncoordinated, but she figured it was a start and that they needed to practice easy and simple steps that they could follow and perfect. She and Ender had done much more complicated sequences in their battle room practices with the other Launchies, but she knew that it wasn't time to teach them that yet. It would be too hard for them to keep up.

The Scorpion army wasn't bad to work with. They didn't have any good teachers before, but Morgan could definitely shape them into something of value. It wasn't going to be as hard as she thought. Beside, she liked how no one was against each other, and how everyone treated their army like their own family. She could definitely get used to this.

By dinner, they had accomplished a lot. Not only did they have a battle room training session, but they also went down to the gym and sparred amongst each other. Dorian turned out to be extremely proficient in martial arts, which was good because Morgan was going to have to pick up a couple of things from him if she wanted to be a better fighter. He, of course, was more than glad to help.

The Scorpion army usually sat across from the Salamanders, which Morgan found painful to swallow. She would have to see Ender three times a day now, and the memory of his betrayal was still fresh. Maybe she was exaggerating or maybe she wasn't, but the truth was that Morgan felt very used. Ender and Petra reminded her of the way he and her used to be, and that just wasn't right. It wasn't right at all.

Dorian and her sat together, and there was a clearly visible space between the two of them and the other Scorpions. He was handsome when he laughed, when he smiled, and even when he ate. It quickly took Morgan's mind away from Ender.

"So, you got anybody back home?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "My little brother."

Dorian laughed and took a bite out of his bread. "I meant a male friend."

Morgan grew flustered. "No," she said. "I don't think of guys that way."

"Because you're a genius prodigy, right?" he guessed. "Jeez, they don't let anyone here live a normal teenage life. It's always just battles and competitions and rocket science and bugger biology. What about the other things kids need to experience?"

"They will once the war is over."

"We'll all be antisocial by the time we get out of here. Most kids at Battle School treat this as a competition."

Morgan frowned slightly. "Isn't it?"

Dorian shrugged. "I don't know. Is it? Because it seems to me like some people have pretty much already secured a spot in Commander School."

It took Morgan a few seconds to understand what he was talking about. "Oh. You mean those genius prodigies." She looked a little hurt, and Dorian could see that his words came out wrong.

"No, no, come on. There's nothing wrong with being smart. That's not what I meant." He nudged her hand and gave her a small smile. "You're smarter than the rest and you've got more of a chance than others, and there's nothing wrong with that. I just meant that I don't have as much potential as everyone else." Morgan still didn't get over his previous statement, but she let it slide for the time being.

A heavy silence grew between the two of them. Morgan looked around the lunch room, spotting Ender sitting across from Petra at the Salamander table. He was playing with his food absentmindedly, a bored look on his face. Petra was engaged in a conversation with a couple of other Salamander boys that Morgan couldn't recognize, but it's not like she cared either, because the only person she thought of was Ender. It was as if he could feel her eyes on him, because he instinctively looked in her direction. Morgan's gaze narrowed into a glare, and she moved all her attention to Dorian.

"Where're you from?" he asked her.

"Canada."

"Wow, that's cold."

She laughed and then rolled her eyes and him. "Is that all you know about Canada? That it's cold?" When Dorian nodded, Morgan bit her upper lip. "Where're you from?"

"My family's from Germany," he said, "but I was born in the States."

"You don't look German."

"You don't look Canadian." They both stared at each other for a few seconds, and then smiled at the same time. "I heard you like brownies," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Here." Dorian gave her the chocolate treat that sat untouched on his tray this entire time, and Morgan took it cautiously. "I don't like chocolate," he clarified, which was enough to convince her to bite into it.

The girls in the Scorpion army began to talk to Morgan, including her in their conversations. They talked about back home, and about their skills, and about their impressions of Battle School, and one of the girls began to recount stories of when she was a Launchie, which Morgan found amusing. The guys would crack dirty jokes, the girls would rebuff them, and then they'd go back to talking about whatever it was that they were talking about, only for the events to repeat again. She liked how they included her, and she liked how they treated her like one of their own. She absolutely adored it.

But despite it all, she couldn't help but miss Ender.


	10. Chapter 09

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 09**  
><strong>Dorian's Request<strong>

The second day after Morgan got transferred, the Scorpion army was supposed to battle against Condor, something that she wasn't too eager about. She hadn't gotten enough time to practice with her army in order to be accustomed to the way they moved or the way they thought.

Still, Dorian was more optimistic than her and he told her that they were going to win. Morgan hated the amount of confidence they had in her. If she couldn't lead them to victory, then they would probably find her useless. Dorian would transfer her as soon as he could. She couldn't let them down.

Clad in the Scorpion army battle suit, Morgan made her way to the battle room along with the others. She was in the front of the formation, beside the toon leaders. When they got to the battle room gate, Morgan could feel her chest constrict. She started to breathe in and out heavily.

"Alright, we're gonna pull off what we did in practice yesterday," Dorian said. Toon A goes overhead, Toon C goes underneath, and Toons B and D will make use of the stars to create an ambush near the-Morgan, what's wrong?"

Morgan could feel everyone's eyes on her, and she tried to calm her heartbeat. "I'm okay," she choked out.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

"No," she lied.

Dorian cracked a smile. "It's okay to be nervous. It's your first actual battle."

"Doesn't matter. I'm fine." She forced a smile. "Let's do this."

But it didn't go at all the way she thought it would. Condor was expecting every single one of their movements, and it was no wonder they were in one of the top ten armies. Morgan could do nothing but to watch as her teammates were getting frozen all around her. After the first few minutes, she realized that there was no way for them to win until they got someone through the enemy gate, and even that seemed like an impossible feat.

And it was impossible, after all. Condor won easily and quickly. They were good—too good for their own well-being—and it bothered Morgan that she couldn't lead her own army to a victory.

"We did well," Dorian said to everyone as they walked back to their barracks. "We did really well." He noticed how quiet Morgan was and how she didn't say anything, so he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and chuckled. "You couldn't have done anything about it anyway. It's not like we had much practice together. But we will."

She didn't say anything. She kept her mouth shut and started to devise new strategies that no one could've possibly thought of before. No matter how stupid they are, she thought of ways she could implement them and put them in action in the battle room. There was no way she'd let anyone else beat the Scorpions anymore. Condor was the beginning of the end.

Two days passed since then, and Morgan had managed to teach the Scorpions a couple more tricks and sneaky attacks. She and Dorian would have sparring matches in their free time, and when the gym wasn't empty, they would sit on his bed in his private quarters while she explained the new strategies and game plans to him. Dorian was always enthralled when she spoke.

At the end of her fourth day in the Scorpion army, Morgan had decided to spend her free time alone in the game room. She left the barracks as soon as she could and wandered down the corridors. Her feet moved mechanically while her mind kept playing around with different formation possibilities, and it was because of this that she didn't notice Ender walking in her direction. She would've walked straight into him if he hadn't grabbed her arms and caught her before they collided.

"Ho, Morgan," he said.

Morgan mumbled a "hello" before trying to side-step him and walk away. Ender didn't let her.

"Where're you going?" asked Ender.

"Nowhere."

He frowned a little. "Did I upset you? Is that why you're avoiding me?"

"Honestly, Ender, we're not on the same side anymore. I shouldn't even be talking to you," Morgan sighed.

"I thought we were friends outside the battle room."

"The only friends you have are in the Salamander army," she told him bluntly. The look on her dark eyes seemed to say it all, and Ender understood it. He carefully studied her expression before shaking his head.

"I can't work with them like I can with you," he confessed.

Morgan gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "You don't get it, do you? You think I'm only here for you to work with and train with? So that you can beat me in the end and make it to Commander School? Is that all that you think about?"

She expected Ender to say something—to assure her that she was wrong. But he said nothing. He just remained silent and looked at her with curious eyes, and at that moment, Morgan walked past him, knowing there was nothing else for her to say.

But his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, and he gently tugged her back. "I can't talk with them like I can with you, either," he said.

To others, that statement might not have meant much, but it meant a lot to Morgan. The corners of her mouth curved upwards, and it was as if the last few days without Ender hadn't even existed. The void in her heart wasn't there anymore, and instead of it, there was an unexplainable feeling that Morgan found to be perfect.

"Do you wanna… go to the game room with me?" she asked.

And of course, Ender agreed.

During free time the next day, Morgan and Ender met up in the gym with the intent to train. She had given in reluctantly to the idea, because after being separated from Ender, fighting against him wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but then he reminded her that the best talks they've had were while practicing together. That was a good enough reason.

"So how's Dorian?" he asked sourly.

Morgan laughed a little. She blocked a hit from Ender and then dodged his following kick. "He's doing fine. I'm sure he'll be more than glad you asked," she joked.

"I meant as a commander."

"He's like everyone's older brother. Win or lose, he's still proud of you."

Ender stiffened a little and stopped fighting. "Bonzo isn't anything like that," he said. "At least you've got it good."

"Why'd you ask?"

He shrugged. Morgan swung her arm and tried to hit him, but he dodged and grabbed her, twisting her arm behind her back with ease. She laughed a little, looking back at him over her shoulder. "Where'd you learn all this?" she questioned, a little surprised at how good he was.

"I had a brother," he said.

"Had?"

"Have," he corrected. "I told you about him. Peter." He released her and spun her around so that they were facing each other. Their bodies were close, both Ender and Morgan breathing heavily and raggedly. Morgan thought about leaning in closer to him, but she couldn't cross that invisible line between them. It just wouldn't be right.

She didn't know why she was giving into him so easily, especially after promising herself that she wouldn't forgive him for replacing her, but maybe he hadn't replaced her after all. Besides, if he had really not wanted her around—if he had really gotten tired of her—he would've been practicing with Petra instead.

"Come on. Let's go again," Ender said. "But use your arms, not your hips."

Morgan rolled her eyes. That's exactly what Dorian told me when we fight, she thought to herself. She raised her arms up to defend herself, getting into her stance. Ender did the same, and she could see he tensed up and was about to strike.

"Officer on deck!" They straightened up and turned around to see where the voice was coming from. "A-ten-hut!"

It was Bonzo and two of his boys. He looked pretty pissed, glaring mainly at Ender, although Morgan knew that his feelings towards her were not entirely neutral either.

"I thought I told you not to train with anyone outside of your army," he said.

Morgan swallowed hard. Bonzo was going to chew him out and it wasn't going to be pretty at all.

"I thought we'd agreed that free time was free, sir," Ender replied, looking straight ahead.

Bonzo's lips were pursed in anger. "At ease," he said. No sooner, he drew his arm back and punched Ender's stomach hard. Ender groaned and gasped for air; the impact had been extremely painful.

"Stop it, Bonzo!" Morgan cried out. Bonzo whispered something in Ender's ear, and then pushed him backwards into Morgan. She caught Ender and steadied him, glaring at Bonzo.

"You had no right to do that, you bastard!" she shouted. "Free time is free and he can do whatever the hell he pleases!"

Bonzo's arm shot out and grabbed Morgan's shirt, drawing her closer to him. "Don't ever address me again," he warned through gritted teeth.

"Let go of her, Madrid."

Everyone's eyes darted towards the door. Bonzo's glare turned even colder, and he let go of his harsh grip on Morgan's clothing. "Kohler," he spat.

Dorian looked strangely amused by what was going on. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, sporting a movie-star grin. "Next time you want to pick on one of my soldiers, ask for my permission first," he said, walking inside the room.

The blond was taller than Bonzo by about a head, but even so, it was clear that he didn't underestimate him at all. "I don't need to ask for permission, much less from you," Bonzo retorted. He pushed past him with his other two guys, disappearing down the hallway. Dorian's eyes locked on Morgan, and then he shook his head.

"You're hopeless," he said. "Did you really have to irritate him like that?"

"He hit Ender," Morgan explained, her gaze dropping to her feet.

Dorian's brown eyes glinted. "You're Ender Wiggin?" He held his hand out. Ender shook it. "Let's go to my quarters and give Bonzo a little while to settle down," he said. "It's better that way."

Morgan and Ender followed him.

Dorian laid down on his bed, crossing his hands under his head. Morgan sat down beside him, while Ender leaned against the wall, his blue eyes narrowed slightly. The blond let out a laugh and glanced at Wiggin. "Kid, I'm gonna give you a piece of friendly advice," he began. "Don't mess around with Bonzo. Trust me. He's not lenient at all."

"Yeah, I figured," Ender said, smiling a little.

"I sense you and Bonzo have some bad blood between you two," Morgan guessed.

"You sense right." Dorian's fingers played with the Scorpion patch on his shoulder absentmindedly. "We were in the same launch. He always had that Spanish pride that I couldn't tolerate. The guy couldn't wait to be a commander and lead his own army."

"So what happened?"

"He was working hard and he was moving on up. But there were some things I was good at that he wasn't. And it ticked him off."

"Like what?" Ender asked.

"Like hand-to-hand combat. Yeah, he might've been a good shot with his laser gun, but out of that battle room, I was better than him at sparring." Then, Dorian bit his lip teasingly. "I also used to antagonize him like crazy. That little bugger deserved every bit of it."

"Who would've figured?" Morgan chuckled, looking up at Ender. "Both our army leaders being rivals since the moment they got here while their best soldiers are friends."

"Best solider? Whoever said you're my best soldier?" Dorian snorted. "Best soldier. Yeah, right."

Ender laughed with him, making Morgan roll her eyes. "Very funny, guys."

"I'm kidding," Dorian said, reaching out for her hand. "You're good, and don't you forget it. Who knows? Maybe one day, the Scorpions will beat Salamander." His eyes flickered towards Ender. "But don't let Bonzo get in the way of your friendship. Screw him and his orders." He yawned and then stretched. "Alright, I think we can call it a night. Or… day. Or whatever. It's almost curfew."

Ender nodded. "You're right." He sais his goodnight's to the two Scorpions, his eyes lingering on Morgan for a few more seconds before walking out. As Morgan was about to get up and leave as well, Dorian sat up and grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, not you," he said, pulling her back down. "Morgan, I need to tell you something before you go, okay?"

"Dorian, what's wrong?" she asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

He shook his head and smiled. "Calm down." His eyes darted to the door for a quick second, and then he breathed in. "It's about Ender."

"Bonzo isn't going to beat him up again, will he?"

"If that little turd even tries, I'll knock his teeth out." His expression turned serious. "But that's not what I wanted to say."

"Then what is it?" Morgan inched closer to him, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Dorian exhaled sharply and pursed his lips. "Please… for your sake and for Ender's—and for mine, too—tell that boy you love him. Before it's too late."


	11. Chapter 10

**PART 01 || CHAPTER 10**  
><strong>Reptilian Armies<strong>

When Morgan woke up the next morning, she had to avoid Dorian's eyes. She just couldn't look at him the same way anymore, which was extremely unfortunate, since they had to train together. She didn't know what had gotten into him, or how he'd come to such a conclusion, but Morgan Bellar was not in love with Ender Wiggin and that was that. She couldn't understand how he'd ever think such a thing.

It didn't help that they had a battle during breakfast, either. The entire time, Morgan couldn't concentrate at all. She was too focused on dodging Dorian rather than dodging the laser beams from the Asp army's guns. Eventually, Dorian pulled her to the side and hid behind a star, scowling at her.

"Goddamn it, Bellar, you're being an airhead!" he scolded. "We can beat them if you just get your head into it. Stop floating around and start winning!"

And for once, they _did_ win. Toon C remembered one of the tricks Morgan taught them when it came to ambushing the enemy, and it worked out perfectly as they moved their offense closer to the gate. They managed to get not just one but _two_ people through, automatically winning.

But Dorian didn't congratulate her. He didn't even smile at her. He gave the others a grin, but he kept his distance from Morgan until they got to the mess hall. By the time they arrived, the tables were almost empty, and Morgan liked that a lot.

She sat down with her tray of food at a table, and was soon joined by a couple of other Scorpions. They talked for a bit, traded food—Morgan received two more brownies from her teammates—and then scanned the huge scoreboard to their right. To their immense surprise, Scorpion was now one of the top ten armies, due to their individual scoring.

But still, Dorian didn't say a word. It was only when they were walking back to their barracks that he made her trail behind with him.

"You're angry at me," he stated.

"Why do you think that?" Morgan asked.

"You're avoiding me."

"I have good reason to." Instead of stopping at the barracks, Dorian made her join him in his quarters.

"Look, you know I'm right. You know you love Ender," he said, removing his battle suit. Morgan had to look away, her cheeks turning bright red at his statement. "And I'm surprised he hasn't noticed it yet."

"I don't love him," Morgan spat. "Not like that. What would _you_ know, anyways?"

Dorian raised an eyebrow. "I know more than I should." He walked over to her, putting on a white shirt and running a hand through his hair. "There will come a day when you're gonna wish you had more time with Ender. You're going to wish you'd confessed your feelings to him earlier. It's a tough world out here, Morgan, and people who are as bright as you don't usually find anyone on whom they can count on. Not every Battle School soldier comes across someone like Ender. Just remember that."

And then, he walked out of his quarters, leaving Morgan behind with a sour taste in her mouth.\

* * *

><p>Dragon army. Ender was the commander of the Dragon army—a team that had been disbanded years ago because it hadn't won even a third of its games. He was the Goddamn commander of that army, but Morgan wasn't a part of it.<p>

Bean and Alai and Bernard were in it. Even Marjorie was part of the team. But Morgan wasn't. Morgan was left out. Did Ender not _want_ her?

She waited until dinner, and then marched up to Ender, who was sitting with his new army. Bean, Alai, and Marjorie greeted her with a smile, congratulating her on having won the battle against Asp the day before, but Morgan wasn't here to see them. She grabbed Ender and led him outside the mess hall.

"You could've at least _told_ me about it," she said.

"About what-"

Morgan gritted her teeth. "Look, if you didn't want me, I would've understood. All you had to do was say so."

"What are you talking about?" Ender asked, frowning.

"The Dragon army! That's what I'm talking about! Why am I not one of your soldiers? I thought you and I were friends, Ender. Am I not good enough to be on your team?" She scoffed and then crossed her arms over her chest.

"Morgan, I didn't choose my teammates," he said, grabbing a hold of her arms. "I didn't, I swear it. Do you really think I would've left you out?"

"I don't know. _Would_ you have left me out?"

"No," he clarified. "No, I wouldn't have. You're the person I want most on my side."

His words made something spark inside Morgan. She felt her chest swell up, breath hitching in her throat. _The person he wants most on his side,_ she thought to herself. _I'm that person_. She wouldn't have thought that she meant so much to him and that she was so important, but it must've been true. It had to be true.

"Oh. Well that changes things," she said sheepishly.

Ender smiled softly. "Yeah, it does." He glanced back over his shoulder. "They're waiting for me," he said.

"Then go."

"I'll see you around," he said. He reached out for her hand and gave it a slight squeeze before disappearing into the mess hall.

Morgan walked back to the Scorpion bunkroom, unable to eat. She decided that it would be best to get started on her free time early by cleaning her gun and getting ready for another battle room session with Dorian. He would be eager for it too, especially after their victory against the Asp army. Their individual scorings have never been better than the ones they'd gotten today. Whether it was a strike of luck or actual talent, it didn't matter.

But as she opened her locker, Morgan's desk started to beep. She had a message.

"Morgan Bellar, report to the Salamander army, commander Bonzo Madrid. Follow the green lights. Take nothing with you. Effective after dinner."

_No, you have to be kidding me_, she thought. Not Bonzo. Not the Salamanders. Not this. Oh, this _sucked_.

Morgan took in a deep breath and then checked the time. Fifteen more minutes until dinner ended. Fifteen more minutes until she had to switch armies. She prayed Dorian and the others would return early so that she could tell them about it before leaving. She didn't know how they would take it—how Dorian would take it—seeing as Bonzo Madrid wasn't liked by everyone.

It killed Morgan to transfer. It had only been a few days since she joined the Scorpions, and right after their first win together, she was removed entirely from their family and was thrown into a vicious team where she was sure to feel like a stranger the entire time. She couldn't help but curse Graff. It was his doing. He wanted this. He wanted to alienate her. Just when she'd found people who liked her and on whom she could count on, Graff yanked her out of her comfort zone. Damn him.

Like she'd expected, Dorian and the others returned three minutes before dinner ended. She sat there on her bed, head resting on her hands, and when she heard them come in, Morgan looked up and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Dorian asked. He could sense right away that something was off.

Morgan sat up. "Dorian, I know you're going to get mad when I tell you, so I'll just say it flat out." She breathed in and shut her eyes. "I got transferred to the Salamander army."

She didn't dare look at Dorian. Her eyes were sealed tightly, lips pressed together into a firm line, body stiff as a board. Her breathing was the only thing that she could hear; no one said anything or did anything. Quietly, she opened her eyes and glanced up at Dorian, expecting to see an angry expression on his face.

But he wasn't angry. At least he didn't look it. He just stood there expressionless, his brown eyes glued on Morgan's. "I guess it was bound to happen," he sighed. "I knew we wouldn't keep you too long."

"You're not mad? You _hate_ Bonzo, and now I'm going to be his soldier."

Dorian let out a small laugh. "Things like these happen," he said. "That's alright." He slung his arm around her shoulders. "Do me a favour, though."

"Anything," Morgan said.

"When we'll face each other in the future, don't underestimate us. We'll kick your sorry Salamander ass."

She grinned. "We'll see about that."

* * *

><p>The Salamander bunkroom was somewhat terrifying. Morgan had to give them credit; they were definitely intimidating enough. When they saw her walk in, a couple of them groaned, which made Morgan wince.<p>

"Bonzo isn't going to be happy," one of them said.

"Yeah, no kidding. He asked for a replacement and he got Ender's other half."

She ignored them, and when Bonzo walked inside the barracks, she addressed him loud and clear. "Morgan Bellar, former Scorpion," she said. "I was told to transfer to your army, sir."

She _had_ to be polite to him since she was his soldier from now on. Although calling him "sir" left a really bad taste in her mouth.

"Kohler's screwed now," Bonzo said, a smirk painted on his lips. "He can't save you anymore either." Moving closer to her, he said, "At ease."

Morgan knew what was coming. She spread her feet apart and linked her hands behind her back, ready for Bonzo's fist to connect with her body, but Bonzo did no such thing. Even though he was a bit shorter than her, she was scared of him. She knew he was ruthless and vicious and that he would make her life a living hell. She knew that so well, yet she couldn't dare show any fear in her eyes.

"Your bed is in the back. From now on, you'll train with _me_ during your free time. If I catch you socializing with anyone who is not part of the Salamander army, you're going to _beg_ me to kill you." Bonzo's glare turned even icier. "I hope you're not as much of a snot as Ender Wiggin. Because if you try to defy me like he did, I will personally issue you a one-way ticket to hell. Dismissed."

That didn't go as bad as Morgan thought it would. She sighed in relief and went to her bunk. She opened her locker and fingered the material of her new Salamander jumpsuit, smiling a bit. This was exactly what Ender wore this morning. And this was probably where he slept too. Morgan sat down on the bed, curling herself around the white pillow. It smelled of Ender. Everything about this place screamed Ender. Maybe it wouldn't be so horrible to be a Salamander after all.

"Morgan," she heard someone say. She got up and straightened her posture, only to see Petra standing beside her bunk with a smile. "Welcome to the Salamander army."

"Thank you," Morgan replied, biting back a grin. "You're Petra Arkanian, right?"

"Yeah, we've met before." Petra's eyes scanned Morgan from head to toe. "Ender talked a lot about you, you know," she said. "We didn't hang out much, but on the way back from the battle room during free time, he would praise you a lot."

"Did he really?"

Petra nodded.

"I guess I have to live up to the expectations now," Morgan laughed.

"I doubt Bonzo will let you do things independently. He doesn't want anyone to mess up his game."

"He lacks strategy, though."

"Try telling him that, and you'll get your teeth knocked into your brain."

Morgan shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'm not here to start a war against him. I'm here as his soldier, and if he wants to make use of my talents, then so be it. But if he doesn't, I'm okay with sticking on the sidelines as well."

"Funny… Ender wasn't okay with that."

"Ender's also a commander. I'm not."

"Are you saying you're born to follow and not lead?"

"I'm saying that I'm Bonzo's subordinate. You said it yourself that Bonzo doesn't want anyone to mess up his game." She paused. "I don't want to die just yet."

Petra laughed, and Morgan couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked overall. No wonder Ender and her became friends. Her fingers absentmindedly ran through her hair, trying to straighten it out and make it look more acceptable.

"Don't worry," she said. "I think Bonzo _will_ end up making use of your talents."

"How so?"

"He's got two people he wants to defeat. Your ex-commander, Dorian Kohler, and of course Ender," Petra explained. "And since you've trained with them both, you know how they think. You know their strengths and weaknesses." She grinned. "That's why Bonzo wants to train you himself."

"Oh, jeez, I thought he just liked my presence," Morgan joked.

"I'm serious. I'll give you some advice, though."

"What is it?"

Petra glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was around. Most of the Salamanders went outside the barracks to play baseball, so she was safe to speak. "Don't let Bonzo win."

She gave Morgan another smile and then walked back to her own bed, getting her desk out. Morgan breathed out and laid down on top of her covers, curling up around Ender's pillow again. She could almost feel him next to her, his scent being the most comforting thing around.

_Don't let Bonzo win_, she repeated in her mind. _I won't let him win. I won't._

And for the first time in a while, Morgan had a dreamless and peaceful sleep.


End file.
